Car-door latch



Nov, 13, 1928.

F; AXELSON CAR DOOR LATCH Filed Sept. 26, 1927 gwoenioz HPED AXEASON.

Patented Nov. 13,1928. I

l UNITEDSTATES.

OFFICE.

FRED AXELSON, OF NORTHOME, MINNESOTA.

GAE-DOOR ATCH. i I

Application filed se'pteniber 2e, 1.927. Serial No: 222,192)

This arrangement relatesto door holding devices and has special reference to such a device designed particularly for the holding of car doors either closed or ajar.

' The principal object is to provide simiple,

Referring now to the accompanying draw-r ing forming part of this applicat on, and in which like reference] characters indicate like l5 I v I Figure 1 is a front elevation of the lower corner of a car dooras applied to the door opening therein having be improved holding device applied thereto; j V

Figure 2 is a top plan view'of theholding device showing the door in cross-section; and a Figure 3 isfla fragmental elevation'o'f the back side 'of the rearmost end of the door engaging portion of the device. I 1 represents the side of an ordinary box car with the door opening 2 therein, while 3 is the outside door of a car as commonly found thereupon, and which when closed abuts against the stop 4: adjacent the front edge of the door opening. Just beneath the lower end of the stop 4 I install a catching bracket comprising the horizontally disposed portion 5 and the in} 'nel like corner indicated at 7, being a continuation of the jam space vformed by the This catch bracket is provided with the vertical Web portion 8 for supporting the inclined portion 6, and alike web portion 9 at right angles thereto, the face of which is in line with the face of the stop 4 and also has an upwardly extending flange portion 10 for secure engagement with the side of the car. A rectangularly shaped hole 11 is formed through the horizontal shelf-like portion 5 of the catch bracket and just beneath the innermost edge of same is a continuation of the web 9 as indicated at 12 the same ex tending outwardly beyond the web 8' and provided with two horizontally disposed openings, the lower one preferably being a round clinedportion 6, the same being substantia lly L-shaped in plan view providingthe chanhole as indicated at 13 for. the reception of any desired kind of padlock or thelike and the otlierhole preferably a vertically elongated slot indicated at 14 fort-he reception ofthe common car. seal when desired."

The cooperative holding means located jacent the lower front corner of the door 3 comprises thefdoorplate 15: which may be made of one or .more parts as deslred and so as to'be substantially flushed therewith.

c5 preferably let into the outer face ofthe door This is a rectan ularl sha ed )late a 3 aronr matly fsev'en or eight inches in length and providedwi'th a central through slot IGtherein, which slot, adjacent both ends of the plate ,15, terminates in slightly enlarged circular openings 17,the center of ,the circular openingsbeing slightlybelow the center line of the slot for purposes hereinafter vdescribed.

i The slot [16 and its accompanying circular 1 openings are stepped in sectional appearance, that'is' to say, a recessedorstepped edge is; formed thereabouts from the inner. side, of the plate as indicated at 18, so that the head 19 of the pin 20, which pivotally supports the pawl or dog 21, may operatewithin said stepped portion, and not project beyond the innermost flush face of the plate 15, thus per mitting of the'free horizontal and ro-tative action of'the pin 20. The head 19'of the pin 20, as well as the pin itself, are flattened upon one side thereof, as indicated at 21 in respect to the pin and at '22 in respect to the head thereof, so that at a certain angular position of the pawl 21 the pin may be slid carrying of course the lower end of the pawl with it to either end of the slot where it is rotatable in either of the circular enlargements 17 of the slot By this means it is quite evident that the dog must be carefully" held at the proper angle in order to adjust it from one end of the slot to the other; otherwise it-will freely rotate within whichever circular en largement it is allowed to remain, and, as is further. apparent fro-m viewing Figure 8 of the drawing, the dog must, be manually lifted as well as turned to theproper angle before it can be adjusted from one end of the slot to the otheigwhich counteraction of gravity will not normally take place by any ordinary manipulation of the car door.

The freeend of the dog is formed with a hook, finger, or nose-like portion 23,. the inner face of which is at right angles to the body portion of the dog 21, and its outer face inclined as at 24, this inclined portion being stepped as at 25, forming the Web-like lateral extension 26, in which-is formed a hole 27. and a slot 28 for registration with the hole 13 and slot 14 respectively in the catch bracket when the dog is in hooked engagement with said bracket by the finger or nose 23 being dropped within the hole 11 in the bracket.

. The inclined front face of the nose 23 of the dog is for the purpose of lifting engagement with said bracket so that if the dog is in its dropped condition. and strikes the bracket when the door is slammed shut, it will mount the same and automatically drop within the opening 11, insuring a positive catching and holding means for the door when it is closed orevcn if the dog is in its inactive position,

for example reclining against the supporting bracket 29 formed integrally with the plate at the closing of the door, the jar willthrow its forwardly and also become automatically engaged with the bracket.

For convenient manual manipulation of the dog, I have'shown a small handle 30 extending laterally from adjacent the free end thereof, and on the front outer face of the plate 15 is integrally formed a guiding member 31 between which and the plate 15 the dog is guided while in its holding position.

By the elognation of the slot '16 and the possibility ofadjusting the dog 21 from one end thereof to theotheryit is apparent that the extent of protrusion of the free end of the dog beyond the front edge of the door may be varied, that is to say, if the dog is in the forward extremity of the slot for pivotal engagementtherein it will drop into the hole 11 in the bracket before the front edge of the door strikes the stop 4 of the opening, and thus the door be held ajar just the length of the slot'16. This is provided for furnishing convenient means in insuring ventilation of the car in the event of live stock being con veyed therein and whereby a predtermined permanent opening ofthe door may be insured during the transportation of such; or it may be desirable to have the door remain open a slight distance for-other purposes, and in this manner an exceedingly simple and convenient device is provided for such purpose.

As is obvious the specific features of the disclosure here illustrated may be varied to considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention, and, having described the same, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A door holding means of the characterdescribed comprising a catch bracket having a hole therein and an inclined face adjacent the hole, said bracket having means for permanent attachment adjacent the door opening, a pivotally mounted dog carried by the door for automatic engagement with the bracket, and

means whereby the dog may be adjusted for" predetermined spacing of the door ajar.

In testimony whereof I aifixmy signature; 7 FRED AXELSON. 

